Leicester City supporters can be forgiven for feeling downbeat at the moment, given their position in the Premier League.
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s men were plunged even deeper into trouble on Wednesday night after Leicester tasted a 2-0 defeat against Crystal Palace.
This was the Foxes’ sixth Premier League loss in a row, leaving the fans fearing the prospect of relegation come May.
While the game didn’t go as planned at the King Power Stadium, there were reasons to celebrate as Leicester announced the signing of Woyo Coulibaly shortly before kick-off.
Coulibaly’s £3m transfer to Leicester saw the 25-year-old sign a 4.5-year contract after joining from Serie A side Parma.
There is hope that the explosive right-back can hit the ground running in England’s top flight, with Van Nistelrooy now sharing his verdict on the Frenchman.
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Ruud van Nistelrooy shares promising Woyo Coulibaly verdict
Coulibaly could make his debut against Fulham this weekend and ahead of the clash, the Leicester manager has pinpointed nine strengths his new signing will bring to the starting lineup.
“He’s a strong, powerful player,” Van Nistelrooy said via Leicestershire Live. “He’s good at defending one-v-ones.
“He can play low, in the middle, high. He knows how we want to play and the role of the full-back. He’s very hard-working. He’s a good character. He’s at an age where he’s at the start of the prime of his career. We need to make him feel at home so he can make an impact immediately.”
The end sentence from Van Nistelrooy couldn’t be more true, as he needs Coulibaly to hit the ground running and instantly adapt to the Premier League.
His comments also imply the new signing could be thrown into the side straight away, perhaps pushing James Justin out of the lineup.
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Leicester City’s horrendous defensive record in numbers
The addition of Coulibaly won’t be the answer to all their problems, as the powerful right-back joins a defence that has been a car crash all season, shipping the second most goals in the league.
Leicester have also conceded twice in each of their last six games, and some of the goals shipped have been avoidable.
| Leicester City’s woeful defensive stats |
| 21 matches played |
| 46 goals conceded |
| 2.2 goals conceded per game |
| 48.01 expected goals against |
The figures above make for grim reading, telling of their issues at the back and Coulibaly must add some defensive solidity to their back line while they wait for a centre-back to sign.